School board to seeks input on grade levels for J.L. Ilsley replacement

The Halifax Regional School Board will consult with stakeholders on what grade levels the replacement for J.L. Ilsley High School will encompass.

The motion from member Linda MacKay (Clayton Park West-Beechville/Lakeside/Timberlea-Spryfield) passed with some discussion at the first regular school board meeting of the new school term on Wednesday evening.

The board will consult with representatives from the school advisory committee for the family of schools.

“This motion will allow for public consultation of the grade configuration of the new school to replace J.L. Ilsley,” MacKay said while initiating the discussion. “By speaking with SACs with the J.L. Ilsley family of schools, we can receive input on what the community feels is the best configuration.”

“I think it’s an opportunity for the community for J.L. to express their views of whether they want have a nine to 12 (school) or 10 to 12,” he said. “Having that conversation in the community, I think would be a benefit.”

Vice-chairwoman Cindy Littlefair (Peninsula South-Peninsula West-Armdale) questioned how the consultation would be framed and facilitated.

Superintendent Elwin LeRoux replied that the board had given thought to the process already, as the motion was prepared in advance, and has already reached out to candidates who have had the training “to lead a process to have a public conversation with a community and to frame that in a positive way and we are very hopeful that this will be well-received in the community.

“We do see it as something we can manage.”

Member Archie Beals (African Nova Scotian representative) asked whether the process should be started sooner rather than later given that the province is considering three potential sites for the new school, including the current location of the existing J.L. Ilsley building, McIntosh Estates, and Graves Oakley Park-Leiblin Drive.

“Because the grade configuration might have an impact on what site is selected for the new school,” Beals said.

The superintendent replied that the board has reached out to the provincial government to ask if there is time to have these consultations before the site selection process is complete.

“As you would know, the selection of the school to replace the current J.L. Ilsley was not from a business case so, typically speaking, when there is a new school announced, it is announced based on a business case that clearly outlines grade levels, size of school, etc. Given that this hasn’t, board member MacKay was curious about the opportunity: Is there time to influence?” LeRoux said.

“So we did ask TIR, the Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal, is it too late to have an opinion on that from the governing board?

“I have been told that if the government had that information before the end of October, it would not interrupt the processes that are currently underway. So, we would be targeting sooner rather than later.”

LeRoux said he imagined the consultation group would be made up of two members from the SAC of each school in the J.L. Ilsley family and a couple of representatives from the community for a total of around 30. He felt it will be necessary to keep the scope of the question fairly narrow — simply to what grade configuration would you prefer — to expedite the process.

In other business:

The board passed a motion from Mi’kmaq representaitve Jessica Rose to write to the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development asking for an update on treaty education in public schools.

A motion from Suzy Hansen (Peninsula North/Fairview) that the superintendent provide the governing board with a summary report on schools’ progress with improvement goals for 2016-2017 no later than November was passed.

Board chairman Dave Wright moved that the 2017 annual general meeting of the HRSB be moved to Nov. 1 from the original date, coinciding with the November regular board meeting. The motion passed.

A motion from Vice-chairwoman Littlefair that the HRSB’s strategic plan for 2013-2017 be extended until June 2019 was referred to an in camera session held after the open session. It was later passed.